LaMATS IPT Program Praised in State Legislature

Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon, speaking at the December meeting of the joint House and Senate insurance committees, concluded his testimony with praise for the Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) collection service offered by the Louisiana Municipal Advisory and Technical Services Bureau (LaMATS), a benefits arm of the Louisiana Municipal Association (LMA).

The LaMATS IPT service collects annual and delinquent taxes owed to municipalities by insurance companies licensed to operate within their jurisdictions. LaMATS currently contracts with 184 Louisiana municipalities, saving public funds and personnel that would otherwise be expended to collect these taxes.

“I wish that all 303 municipalities were being collected by the LMA’s very efficient contractor,” stated Donelon, who heads the Department of Insurance, the agency that oversees the state’s insurance marketplace and protects policyholders. “No one complains about the 3% that they charge,” added Donelon in reference to the small administrative fee that supports the LaMATS collection service.

LaMATS is a wholly-owned corporate subsidiary of the LMA. Its numerous programs provide free or low-cost benefits to municipal Association members, which include all of Louisiana’s 303 incorporated cities, towns and villages. For more information about LaMATS services, contact Executive Director Cliff Palmer via email: cpalmer@lamats.net.

A link to video of today’s hearing with Donelon’s comments starting at 1:18:30 may be found at: http://house.louisiana.gov/H_Video/VideoArchivePlayer.aspx?v=house/2015/Dec/1201_15_IN